India won the Nagpur Test by an innings and 132 runs.
Jadeja ran through the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, picking a five-wicket haul (5-47) to bundle out the visitors for a paltry 177.
After India took a massive first-innings lead of 223 runs, it was Ashwin’s turn to demolish the Aussies with the ball. The veteran off-spinner returned with the figures of 5 for 37 in his 12 overs as the hosts bowl out the tourists for a mere 91 to wrap the match inside three days.
After the game, India skipper Rohit Sharma gave a huge compliment to India’s ace spin pair, saying that leading them was similar to captaining Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in Australia.
“He (Ashwin) looks a different bowler. I wouldn’t say an improved bowler as he was always a good bowler but he looks a different bowler every time he plays Test cricket. That’s what good cricketers do. They try and up their game and try to reach the next level,” said Rohit in the post-match press conference.
“It’s like captaining (Pat) Cummins, (Josh) Hazlewood and (Mitchell) Starc in Australia. Pretty similar. When you have the quality of Akshar, Jadeja, and Ash, having played in India for so many years, playing on pitches like these, it’s always a blessing,” he added.
Rohit, who slammed a century (120) to lay the foundation of India’s first-innings total of 400, further said pitch conditions are the same for everyone but what makes the three India spinners special is their ability to extract the maximum out of the wicket.
“Conditions are there for everyone but what they extract from those conditions make them really, really special. They have played on these pitches a lot and they know which areas to hit, how to keep applying that pressure.”
The Indian captain also opened up on the learning he grasped from his predecessor Virat Kohli on how to work with spinners.
“When Virat was captaining, I noticed one thing, no matter if we got a wicket or not, the pressure had to be there so that the opposition made a mistake.
“That’s what I learnt when Virat was captaining and these guys were bowling. That’s what I try to do now. Apply pressure and don’t expect wickets every ball; its not going to happen like that but if it happens, nothing like it. We’ve got to be at it, and keep putting the ball in right areas and let the pitch help you.”
When there are three quality spinners in the side, one tends to get under-bowled and Rohit hilariously expressed his “worries” while rotating them.
“It’s a little tough. They are all reaching their personal milestones. Jadeja was on 249 wickets and he was telling me, ‘mere ko ball de’ (give me the ball).”
“Ashwin was on four wickets and he wanted a five-for and that was the challenge I was facing. I really don’t know too much about milestones but these guys know about it, so yeah that’s the challenge of captaining them rather than deciding which end to give them or not,” said Rohit.
“Again the three guys are quality and, you know, whichever end is more helpful, all these spinners want to bowl from that end. But pressure is always on me to find the right end for the right one.”
Rohit Sharma refused to compare his Nagpur Test ton with the 161 he scored on a rank-turner at Chepauk against England in 2021.
“I keep it where it is,” the Indian skipper replied, when asked where he would rank the knock among his nine Test hundreds.
“Honestly, I am not too much into rating one knock above the other. Every time you play a knock like that it is important, so it is unfair to put one knock above the other. Both have come under different circumstances.
“In Chennai, we were one Test match down, we had to win. And, especially in home conditions when you are one-down, you are under pressure to do things right.
“Both (centuries) had their own challenges and I am very happy with the two knocks. When you come up with performances like these, you really feel good about it; it gives you lot of confidence also,” he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)